LIVERPOOL manager Brendan Rodgers is expected to make changes again for the visit of Stoke despite the players selected for the Champions League in midweek ending a four-match losing streak.

Dejan Lovren is likely to return in central defence at the expense of Kolo Toure but a bigger decision is whether to continue Steven Gerrard in the number 10 position or drop him back into a defensive role at the expense of Lucas Leiva.

Rodgers said striker Mario Balotelli is not quite fit so Rickie Lambert, who has scored in each of his last two matches, continues up front.

Stoke trio Asmir Begovic, Geoff Cameron and Phil Bardsley reported for training on Friday after being laid low by a virus that has swept through the club this week.

The three players are now back in contention for Saturday's Barclays Premier League trip to Liverpool, along with defenders Erik Pieters and Marc Wilson, who missed last weekend's 2-1 home defeat to Burnley with calf and hamstring injuries respectively.

Boss Mark Hughes is without on-loan Victor Moses for six to eight weeks with a thigh injury. Moses joins Robert Huth (calf), Peter Odemwingie (knee) and Dionatan Teixeira (broken foot) on the sidelines.